Agroscope's research programme AgriMontana deals with the sustainable development of mountain areas and the contribution of agriculture to this development. The aim of this programme is to devise and implement development strategies for agriculture and for the sectors upstream and downstream of it in the mountain area. As a basis for this, the factors relevant to development are recorded, and the core interrelationships between already-existing and new utilisation strategies in agriculture and the development of mountain areas are determined and assessed in terms of their sustainability.

Like the two other Agroscope research programmes ProfiCrops and Nutriscope, Agrimontana addresses topical, socially relevant issues. In addition to the Agroscope research groups, external partners also participate in the programmes. Characteristic features of the three programmes are their limited duration and clearly defined objectives, their inter- and transdisciplinary focus, and cooperation with clients who directly use and apply the research results. With the formation of networks, core competencies are consolidated beyond the research-station sites - as well as beyond Agroscope - and geared to responding to core issues.